ay in ruins, and
the earth was stained with many dark splotches. But the army had passed
on, and it was silent and desolate where so many men had fought. The
twilight drew swiftly on to night, and out of the forest came grewsome
sounds. The wolves, thick now in a region which the Iroquois had done
so much to turn into a wilderness, were learning welcome news, and they
were telling it to one another. By and by, as the night deepened, the
five saw fiery eyes in the thickets, and the long howls came again.

"It sounds like the dirge of the people of the Long House," said Paul,
upon whose sensitive mind the scene made a deep impression.

The others nodded. At that moment they did not feel the flush of victory
in its full force. It was not in their nature to rejoice over a fallen
foe. Yet they knew the full value of the victory, and none of them could
wish any part of it undone. They returned slowly to the camp, and once
more they heard behind them the howl of the wolves as they invaded the
battlefield.

They were glad when they saw the cheerful lights of the camp fires
twinkling through the forest, and heard the voices of many men talking.
Heemskerk welcomed them there.

"Come, lads," he said. "You must eat-you won't find out until you begin,
how hungry you are-and then you must sleep, because we march early
to-morrow, and we march fast."

The Dutchman's words were true. They had not tasted food since morning;
they had never thought of it, but now, with the relaxation from battle,
they found themselves voraciously hungry.

"It's mighty good," said Shif'less Sol, as they sat by a fire and ate
bread and meat and drank coffee, "but I'll say this for you, you old
ornery, long-legged Jim Hart, it ain't any better than the venison an'
bulffaler steaks that you've cooked fur us many a time."

"An' that I'm likely to cook fur you many a time more," said Long Jim
complacently.

"But it will be months before you have any chance at buffalo again,
Jim," said Henry. "We are going on a long campaign through the Iroquois
country."

"An' it's shore to be a dangerous one," said Shif'less Sol. "Men like
warriors o' the Iroquois ain't goin' to give up with one fight. They'll
be hangin' on our flanks like wasps."

"That's true," said Henry, "but in my opinion the Iroquois are
overthrown forever. One defeat means more to them than a half dozen to
us."

They said little more, but by and by lay down to sleep before the fires.
The